Bookslut

September 2004

"For me, the most disturbing thing about death is the pain, fear, and loss involved -- not the sometimes-messy physical results. Of course those physical results are interesting to me, but after Exquisite Corpse, how much farther could I go with that? One problem I see with some of today's young horror writers is that they seem very concerned with "topping" each other and even "topping" their own goriest efforts. That doesn't interest me at all, which may have been one factor in my moving away from horror over the past several years."
by
Liz Miller

"Actually, this is what we've been doing on weekends, we go to bookstores, talk to owners and managers and things. We also just cruise because I can't tell you what a charge it is to see one of your books in a bookstore. We'll cruise and just look for that little white house on the spine. There's nothing that equals the feeling of being able to make a book, to meet a writer and hear a good idea and say we'll publish it and then eventually hold the thing in your hands. It's just a thrill, it really is."
by
Jessa Crispin

What’s mostly autobiographical about [Colors Insulting to Nature], I think, is probably the slowness with which Liza evolves: "Doesn’t she ever get it?” People who were reading the first drafts kept asking me. “Liza keeps getting smacked down, again, and again, and again, and she learns so little, so slowly....” I feel like that resonates with me. You know, sometimes you have to lose a lot of Q-tips before you realize you have a hole in your head.
by
Michael Russell

Persephone, by its own definition, “differs from other feminist publishers in that they are more accessible, more domestic, the feminism is ‘softer'." As Nicola explained to me in a recent email exchange, “Modern feminism is much gentler, less aggressive, realistic, accepting that people have children and have equality with each other.” What all this means when it comes to the books is that the titles often focus on the challenges raised between home and the uncertain world that surrounds it.
by
Colleen Mondor

This is where I point out to you, dear reader, the blank space on the map and say “Beware. There be dragons here.” And I say this as a warning to people with a more sensitive nature because this month’s book cover survey is about “dangerous books” or another way to put it: controversial.
by
Sharon Adarlo

"There are some interesting parallels between Genet and Morrissey: the humble origins, the alienation, the determination to wreak a kind of revenge on the world through their art, their gallows humour, their fascination with young toughs, boxers and rebels, and their perverse determination not to flinch when looking at unpleasant truths about desire and human nature. Above all, both came to be symbols for a certain kind of self-willed outsider status."
by
Nathaniel G. Moore